"Let's Build Something Together"

I've been to Lowe's three times today. Before breakfast, our team leader Penny drove me to pick up paint chips for the home the team is building. Homeowners Serena and Joseph had decided they wanted a baby blue exterior. My task was to choose colors in the blue family and bring them back to the couple. That trip was successful.

Once the homeowners had made their choice, it was time for another trip to Lowe's to pick up the paint. Team member Maryke, homeowner Serena, and I made our way to the Lowe's in Pascagoula which was slightly closer to the work site than the one we had been to earlier that morning. Forty-five minutes later we were in the store picking up 10 gallons of paint. As we made the trip, we were able to hear more of Serena's story. This time we learned how she met her husband Joseph. How good it is to connect more intimately with the homeowners of the house which we are helping to build.

As we left Lowe's, I commented that it was the last time on this trip that we would need to visit a Lowe's store. For a woman who would rather do almost anything than go to Lowe's, two times in one day is enough. That said, after dinner tonight, I found myself in the van with team members Penny, Paul, and Neil, on our way to, you guessed it, Lowe's! Earlier in the afternoon, when we were packing up to leave the work site, one of the project staff had asked if we would pick up several things from Lowe's for use on our site tomorrow. We did.

While we were in the store, one of the workers saw the green VIM shirts worn by Neil and Paul, wondered aloud that she didn't know that we (translated VIM workers) were still here in Mississippi. She thought that the people in the green shirts had left the area. When we shared that we were here doing work, she expressed her gratitude. Before we left the store, we discovered that her own home had been damaged in Katrina and she needed help. Happy to share the good news of Camp Hope, I offered to call her with the phone number of the caseworker. She gladly gave me her cell number, eager for assistance, and then threw her arms around us and hugged us. Very touching.

The "motto" of Lowe's is "Let's build something together." Isn't that a delightful slogan? In the short time our team has been in Mississippi, we have worked with the Volunteers in Mission on site coordinator, Steve, a very skilled and wise builder, to build a house for Serena and Joseph. We have learned the art of team work; of pitching in where help is needed; of supporting and encouraging the homeowners and others on the team; of seeking the collective wisdom of the team; of building community and friendships even as we build a physical structure.

"Let's build something together." Today the team finished the siding on the house, got part of the way through building a deck or porch, and began painting the exterior of the house. When Neil and Paul put up the last piece of siding with help from Glen and Kim (pronounced in Mississippi as Kee-am), as Carol, Maryke, Serena, and I painted, as Penny, Jan, and Steve constructed the deck, as Edwin began to put the trim around the windows, I experienced the goodness of God in each part of the work project. It was a mountaintop moment.

"Let's build something together." As important as the work projects have been this week, one of the most exciting things we have done has happened at lunch. Each day, as we have sat together on the porch of the house, eating from our brown bags, each member of the team has shared his/her thoughts about a question of faith which I gave them earlier. Today's conversation was exceptional and leads me to believe that we are building a community together at Grace where we can discuss the ideas and beliefs that we hold without fear.

"Let's build something together." As God's people called Christians, we are called and commissioned to build God's kingdom here on earth. I hope that is what we have done here in Mississippi this week.

Don't forget to look at the new pics posted on FB so you can see some of what happened today on the work site. Pray for us tomorrow as we complete our part of building the house for Joseph and Serena.

Time to go to sleep. Sweet dreams.